The Bearer of Rothos
by Bane of Princes
Summary: When Middle Earth's future is altered, Adoniel will be needed more than ever. Will she be able to cope with love, loss, betrayal, and a powerful new enemy as she battles against Mordor? What will happen when she begins to forget the world she left behind?
1. Where's Andi?

**Dear Readers, **

**Welcome to the second installment to the Bearers Trilogy! If you want any of this story to make sense, please read the first fan fiction _The Bearer of Narya. _****I will not be able to update until after the January 30 due to deadlines for other writings that take up my priorities (school related). I am sorry for the inconvenience. **

**If you have any questions, comments, thoughts, concerns, or feelings, please feel free to review them to me or send me a PM. My inbox is always open. **

**I will say this only once: I do not own the Lord of the Rings Trilogy (J.R.R Tolkien). I only own my OCs, which are listed on my author page. **

**Please enjoy! Rate and Review! **

**- Bane**

* * *

**The Second Installment of the Bearers Trilogy**

**The Bearer of Rothos**

**Bane of Princes**

**~*1*~**

***Seredur***

The older wizard slammed his pale fist against his desk, causing the items sitting on the surface to vibrate and clatter.

"You mean the Apprentice was within your grasp and _you let him go_?"

Seredur leaned nonchalantly against the doorway of Saruman's study. He knew what the old man was screaming about. The _girl_ that was Gandalf's apprentice still hadn't been captured. It wasn't that he didn't have the opportunity; he had multiple chances to take her. It was the thrill of a hunt and the satisfaction of winning that caused him to delay in the girl's abduction. Absentmindedly twisting a dagger in his hands, he stared out into the distance, thinking of everything but the matter at hand. Saruman could yell at him all he wanted; Seredur wouldn't listen.

The Dark Apprentice waltzed into the study, not regarding the screeching coming from the White Wizard. "Do not fret. _She _will be in our grasp eventually."

"The Dark Lord wants his—!" Saruman stopped. Mouth gaping, he stared at Seredur in shock. "The Apprentice is a _woman_?"

Seredur smiled. "Not even a woman. She is a mere girl, an elleth to be more precise." As Saruman rubbed his chin in thought, the apprentice continued. "Also, it is obvious that there is mutual affection between her and a certain Prince of Mirkwood. All of this was learned _without _abducting her—."

"—And we would have that Elven ring by now if you had actually fulfilled your purpose! The Dark Lord wishes to have all—!"

"_In due time_." Seredur hissed at Saruman threateningly. Although the Master of the Apprentice was more powerful, the forcefulness of Seredur's voice made Saruman almost cringe. "I will have your prize, you senile man. Sauron will have his prize and you will be placed on a higher pedestal than ever before for her capture, if that is what has been causing you many a sleepless night." Seredur strode towards the door, intent on leaving. Before departing from his Master, he smirked and turned back towards Saruman. "Besides…I know the identities of the other two Bearers."

Saruman sat in his chair, mouth agape. "What?"

The Dark Apprentice smiled maliciously before turning away from his Master. He spoke nonchalantly as he walked down the hall towards the exit.

"They will be dead before the sun sets on the fourth day."

***Elizabeth***

Liz had been away from South Dakota for two days now. Being in Colorado for a Coin Exhibition was quit boring. Because her parents were numismatists, her family often went on trips like these to showcase coins. Of course, being only sixteen, she was often excluded from the more _adult _occasions. At that very moment, she was sitting in a chair outside the room where her parents and her twenty-one year old sister, Mary, were partying. With her chin resting in her pale hand, she leaned against the armrest.

_Worst. Vacation. Ever. _

Every now and then, couples would leave to go back to the hotel or women would come out to relieve themselves in the restrooms, but her family never showed. She had nothing to distract herself with except for her very thoughts which swirled around in her mind.

_I wonder what Andi is doing right now. There has to be a reason why she hasn't been texting me. _

Andi Foster was Liz's best friend. They did everything together. On weekends they would always hang out at each other's houses and watch movies, read books, or relax outside. Just recently, Liz had been over Andi's house. They decided to have a Lord of the Rings marathon and look for a plant called "king's foil". While adventuring, her friend had found a strange but beautiful ring. Before she left, Andi had told Liz that she was going to do more investigation. Since then, there had been no word from the Foster residence.

Liz flipped open her phone for the millionth time. The screen still showed a picture of the two of them sticking their tongues out at the camera and the time. There was no indication that a message had been received. It didn't make sense. Why wasn't she calling or texting her back? With a small hope that she would answer, Liz called Andi one more time.

_Ring._

She crossed her fingers.

_Ring. _

Halfway there. "Come on, Andi." Liz muttered. "You're making me nervous."

_Ring. _

Please, please just answer.

_Rin- _"Officer, I have no idea why it is in the woods- Oh, hello?"

Liz jolted at the sudden voice. That wasn't Andi. "Uh…hello?"

"Elizabeth, is that you?"

Liz frowned. There was only person who called Liz by her full name. "Mr. Foster?"

"Oh God, is Andi with you?"

Why would Mr. Foster be thinking that Andi was here in Colorado? "No. Is something wrong?"

Liz heard a small curse escape from Mr. Foster. Another gruff voice in the background was asking Mr. Foster for the phone. "It's Andi. She's been missing since you left. Have you heard anything from her?"

Liz's heart stopped. She felt as if she couldn't breathe. Her best friend was gone? Missing? Andi wouldn't run away; she loved her father too much. The only way she would be missing is if she had been murdered or kidnapped or…worse.

"N-no! I've been waiting for her to call or text me! I didn't know that she was missing!"

Another stream of profanities erupted from Mr. Foster. She heard a drawn out sigh and then he began speaking again. "If you hear _anything_, please call." There was a click, and Mr. Foster was gone.

Liz slumped forward in the seat and rested her head in her hands_. Andi's gone? Just like that_? She didn't know what reaction she should have. Fear? Anger? Sadness? Hope? Then again, what hope was there? Frustration from the fact that she could do little to help find her best friend burned viciously inside her. Why did she have to be stuck in the mountains when her friend needed her most?

"Lady Andrea has not been harmed."

Liz whipped her head upward to find an old man. Grey hair framed his aging, but friendly, face. A hopeful smile graced his face, but Liz was curious. What did he know about Andi? How did he know about her? Why would he be calling her a Lady (which she was _far _from)? Who was this guy? She looked at him curiously. He looked like a simple man dressed in brown robes that were definitely from some kind of Harry Potter convention or something. Her stomach twisted around, plagued by nerves. Was he just trying to be a creepy old man? The gentleman held out his hand to Liz. Flinching backwards, she stared at his hand as if it were a knife. He chuckled.

"If I am a friend to Andrea, then I am a friend to you. I mean you no harm."

"What have you done with Andi, you freak!" Liz hissed through her teeth.

"Your friend has left this place to save what many have thought to be lost."

"What do you—?"

"She is fading, Elizabeth. What ties her here will soon be forgotten unless action is taken. Help her, Elizabeth. Help Andrea."

Frowning, Liz looked up at him. What was this guy trying to pull off? Was he trying to act like a wizard with his little "links" and garb? "Listen, bozo. I don't care if you're Merlin, Dumbledore, or the Wizard of Oz. I hate playing games and my patience is running thin. Where. Is. Andi?"

"Are you willing to help her?"

"In any way I can." Liz replied, glaring at the man who appeared homeless.

He rested a hand on her shoulder and muttered words under his breath. Liz immediately shoved his hand away, but one touch was all it took. She heard a snap and everything started to spin. A sudden wind blew her dirty blonde hair in her face, obstructing her vision. She tried to reach out to find the old man and possibly maim him, but her hands clasped around air. Screaming, she felt the sensation that she was falling until she landed in water. _Cold_ water. Gasping, she inhaled, bringing the water into her lungs. Choking on liquid, she struggled to the surface of the water as pin pricks of cold tortured her skin. When she reached the surface, she coughed violently, water spraying out of her mouth. Desperately breathing for oxygen, she concentrated more on her breathing than her surroundings. When she finally regained her breath, she looked around. Immediately, she regretted her decision.

Horses. Men. Strange monsters. Blood. Swords. Arrows. Screams.

Liz closed her eyes. This was a dream. It had to be a dream. She opened her eyes and the same scene was before her. Pinching herself, she tried the method that worked in many cliché movies. It was worthless. Why did this look so real? Screaming in frustration, she slapped the water with her fists and later realized how childish the action was. Then she thought of a brilliant idea. Keeping her arms at her sides and ceasing movement in her legs, she stilled her limbs which caused her to sink. _If I die in my dream, I'll wake up back in Colorado. This is just a nightmare. _She slowly, but surely, sank down through the murky water. _It'll be painless. It'll be like dying in a dream. _Her lungs were beginning to feel scratchy, the warning signs of loss of oxygen. _Painless. _They were on fire. She kicked away from the river silt and swam frantically towards the surface. Gasping for breath yet again, she accepted her fate.

She wasn't in Colorado anymore. She wouldn't let herself slip into lunacy yet by saying she was in some kind of "magical land" just yet.

Swimming to the opposite bank, she rest on the sand and watched, horrified, at the battle across the small river. The warriors that looked human seemed to be losing terribly. Their numbers were dwindling as the monsters seemed to gain the upper hand. One warrior was about to be stabbed.

Liz couldn't watch anymore. She grabbed a good sized stone and threw it across the river at a monster, hitting it in the helmet. Of course, it did nothing but distract him, but the warrior was able to kill his opponent. The warrior who was saved then sounded a retreat. Diving into the water, he then swam across the river. Liz wasn't sure if she should stay or run. She walked backwards and stopped, starting a pattern that ended when the warrior came to shore. He came towards her, grabbing her hand and dragging her into the forest and out of sight of the monsters. Panting, he then smiled at her.

"Thank you, kind lady." He nodded slightly. "You saved my life."

"I threw a rock. I fail to see how that would save you." Liz said.

"Still," The man declared. "I owe you a debt of gratitude." When Liz showed confusion, he asked. "Do you know whom you are speaking to?"

Liz shook her head.

The man straightened his posture. "I am Theodred, son of Theoden and Prince of Rohan."


	2. Three Journeys

**Dear Readers, **

**Thank you for being so patient! I'm sorry for keeping you waiting! I had to write a skit and film it in the past 30 days, but now that it is finished I can start to write again! This chapter, unfortunately, is not that much longer than the first, but I hope it will pacify you until the real action and plot twists come. Trust me, you'll have to prepare yourselves. **

**I would like to thank those who reviewed the first chapter! The reviews are greatly appreciated! **

**On another note, I was wondering if narutokakashijiraiya13 (if he ever reads this) would like to answer a question of mine: I greatly appreciate your review on my last fan fiction, but what does "GGGG" mean? **

**Also, brief Fan Fiction advertising: Check out Merlin's Ward and My Silver Guardian! They have some awesome stuff! (If you ever want me to advertise a fic of yours, PM me and I'll gladly post it on my Author's Notes or on my profile!) **

**Look on my profile for any TBOR updates or just to check out any new updates. I might be posting a poll soon, so look out for it! **

**- Bane

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**

**~*2*~**

***Adoniel***

Her muscles burned from overuse. Every step made she felt as if she would collapse. There was no food, no water, and no breaks from the continuous travel. Adoniel felt as if she had been running for eternity. The only thing that kept her going was the gruesome thought of what might happen to Merry and Pippin in the hands of Seredur.

Even as she ran she mentally slapped herself. How could she screw up this badly? She put her selfish wants over the needs of an entire land! Because of her faulty reasoning, now Boromir was alive and things were "topsy turvy". She cringed at the thought of Gandalf finding out…if he ever found out. Would he still come back from the dead? Who would teach her how to utilize her powers to their full potential? There was still much she had to learn, especially now that Seredur appeared.

Seredur, the new Apprentice to the dark powers, was pompous. It annoyed Adoniel how he believed he would succeed at everything he did. Although she wanted to deny it, she secretly knew that he had to potential to fulfill his plans. Adoniel was not trained well enough to be a master at fencing, archery, or any other sort of weaponry. There was no way that she could stand up to him and survive. _I will always be waiting for the right moment to strike, _Istar_._ **(Wizard)** She shivered. This new apprentice would definitely be a handful.

Adoniel looked ahead to see her companions. Boromir, the Steward of Gondor's son and one of her great friends, was running before her. It was noticeable that he was tired as well, for his footsteps were heavy and his feet dragged slightly. He was much like her: they lacked endurance.

Prince Legolas of Mirkwood was ahead of Boromir, skillfully dodging around the rocks that were randomly placed along the prairie. Only recently did he admit that he had feelings for Adoniel. The feelings were mutual, but after the incident in Amon Hen, she wondered if she was getting close to him too quickly. The way that Seredur and Legolas had looked at each scared her. She had a strong feeling that Seredur suspected something between the two. One of Adoniel's greatest fears was that something would happen to her friends, especially Legolas. From experience, she knew that he would do _anything _to save her…which she was afraid of. She didn't want to risk his safety and vice versa. It would be better if they delayed the blossoming of their relationship at least for a little while.

At the front of the group was Aragorn. This Ranger of the North was actually destined to become the great King of Gondor. Adoniel remembered their first meeting in Bree. He was a rugged man, poorly dressed with only the knowledge of survival. Over the months they had spent together, she noticed the gradual metamorphosis of the man. He turned into a leader, guiding the Fellowship after the loss of Gandalf and advising the group after the Battle at Amon Hen. Adoniel smiled. Aragorn was a true King; he just didn't know it yet.

Pausing briefly at a rock, Aragorn put his head against it as if he were listening for something. Adoniel panted as she stopped next to Legolas. He smiled and whispered to her. "He is listening for the sounds—."

Adoniel nodded. "It's okay. I know."

Legolas tilted his head inquisitively as Aragorn stood up once more. "Their pace has quickened." He declared. "They must have caught our scent! Hurry!"

The Ranger quickly began running again and the chase continued. Boromir groaned with disappointment and ran alongside Adoniel, shaking his head. Adoniel smiled encouragingly at him. She knew that he felt guilty for the hobbits' current predicament. He had made that clear when they left the forest to follow the band of Uruk hai and Seredur.

A sudden clanking was heard behind them. Adoniel spun around to find a huffing and puffing and tumbling Gimli behind them. The poor dwarf had struggled to get up the steep hill and fell. His dwarven armor weighed down his limbs and restricted his movements. Using his axe as a staff, he tried to climb up the hill, muttering. "Three days and night's pursuit…no food, no rest, and no sign of our quarry but what bare rock can tell!"

Boromir went back to the dwarf, urging Adoniel to run onward. He would help Gimli. Taking his suggestion, Adoniel pressed on following Aragorn and Legolas to only the Valar knew where.

_Please don't do anything stupid, guys. _Adoniel thought. _We're coming. _

***Seredur***

Before he went to fulfill his mission, Seredur decided it was time to check on his troops. They held the hobbits that were to be sent to his Master. The hobbits were tiny and annoying like children. He didn't want to have to handle the two Halflings so he sent the uruk hai to do his dirty work. Hopefully they didn't…spoil the hobbits. If they did, there would be hell to pay.

Riding upon his steed which was as black as his heart, Seredur flew across the plains of Rohan towards the troops of his minions. The uruk hai and Saruman's orcs were arguing…again. Seredur rolled his eyes at the insolence of his regiment. He whipped his horse to move faster so he could continue with his missions as quickly as possible. Even when he arrived on the scene, the uruks and orcs were still bickering.

"—He wants the Shire-rats now!" Grishnakh, the leader of the orcs, spat.

Mauhur, who was appointed leader by Seredur after the death of Lurtz, growled. "I don't take orders from orc-maggots."

"Saruman will have his prizes." Seredur said, causing immediate silence. "You are just as impatient as my Master, Grishnakh." The band of monsters looked upon him with fear and forced respect. The Apprentice pushed past his minions to come face to face with the hobbits. Their wrists were bound and their arms were put around the necks of the uruk hai to prevent escape. One was frantically trying to communicate with the other Halfling, whose name was learned to be Merry, but with no luck. Looking up, the hobbit pleaded with Seredur.

"My friend is sick! Please, help him!"

Seredur chuckled. He thought of the vulgar drink the uruk hai used. Turning to Mauhur, he grinned and ordered. "Give him your 'medicine'."

The red liquid was forced down Merry's throat. Seredur laughed as he choked on the burning liquid. Merry's friend glared at the Apprentice with a great amount of hate.

"You monster!" He shouted. "You evil, vile, horrible—!"

As quick as a bolt of lightning, Seredur unsheathed a dagger and held it at the mouth of the hobbit. "If another word escapes from your mouth in my presence, I will cut out your tongue."

The Apprentice smirked as the hobbit closed his mouth. He turned to Mauhur. "You will take them through Fangorn to Isengaurd. Do not use the main road, for if you are being pursued you will find shelter in the trees."

The uruk looked nervously in the distance. The giant blob of green which was Fangorn brought fear into his heart. "Uh…yes, milord."

"Are you afraid of wood, Mauhur?" Seredur sneered. "The trees are dormant. They will bring you no harm." He mounted his horse. "Powerful steel will always destroy frail wood. A new age is rising, one of industry that will change this world forever. Now, if you would excuse me," He said as the uruks made a path for his steed. "I have people to kill. You have a ranger, a midget, a psychopath, a pansy, and a naïve girl on your tails. I suggest you resume your mission and I will continue mine as well."

Without a word, the uruks and orcs pressed on. Seredur smirked and kicked his horse onward towards Lorien. He had to pay a special visit to a 'dear friend'.

***Elizabeth***

Liz and Theodred crossed back over the river so that they were better protected. If orcs were going to come back into the area, they would come to the bank opposite of the battle. The bank that was opposite of the battle was the bank that Liz and Theodred used to hide from the orcs until they left. When the small battalion departed, the two new acquaintances swam to the other side.

"Wait," Liz said once they crossed the river. "So you're saying that you are Theodred and your father, Theoden, just happens to be the ruler of an entire country called Rohan."

"Correct." Theodred confirmed. He darted behind a bush and sat on the ground. "Really, I see no reason for confusion! It is quite simple, really."

Liz and Theodred were waiting in the shelter of the brush by the river. She looked back out to the remains of the battle. There were no other survivors. The prince looked sadly upon his fallen comrades. Liz averted her eyes away from the gruesome sight of the battle field and attempted to comfort Theodred.

"Your men were brave! They fought well."

Theodred lowered his head. "Not well enough. I lead them to their deaths."

"I—." Liz didn't know what to say. She never had friends die in battle before. "…I'm sorry."

He smiled at her. "Thank you."

Liz looked around her and at Theodred. Allowing herself to be distracted from the matter at hand, she tried to decipher the method that she was brought here. She was being 'punked'. There was no other explanation for all of _this_. She searched the forest around her, expecting to find a hidden camera or a man camouflaged. There was nothing but leaves and wildlife. Leaning back against a tree, she sighed deeply. She had actually almost killed herself. Thank God she realized that she was not dreaming in time, but seriously, what was going on?

"Are you well, milady?" Theodred asked, concerned for the girl.

Liz sighed. "Just stressed. And you don't have to call me 'milady'. My name's Elizabeth, but you can call me Liz."

"Where do you hail from? Your clothes are rather strange."

Liz stared down at her attire. It was rather strange, depending on if you lived in the Renaissance era or not. Her blue jeans, still wet from the river, were clinging to her legs. She had taken off her black jacket to dry, but kept on her purple t-shirt. Looking from herself to Theodred, she could see why he was so confused. He was dressed from head to toe in armor. His armor was not an ordinary soldier's armor, but a very important political figure's. She sighed.

"This is what we wear where I come from." Liz said. "I came from South Dakota."

The prince furrowed his brows. "Where is that?"

"It's…" Liz mused. She didn't know exactly where she came from. All she knew was that she appeared from the sky and landed in the river. "It's a long way from here.

There was a slight sound of rumbling. Theodred stood up, looking towards the opposite bank. Liz looked upwards towards the darkening skies. She considered it to be the sound of thunder. When it began to rain, she believed that she was correct. Her predictions were proven wrong when a hoard of horsemen came galloping onto the bank. All of them dismounted and ran towards the killed soldiers. A man, who appeared to be their leader, said something in a low voice and then shouted. "Find the king's son!"

Theodred wanted to bolt towards them, but Liz held him back.

"That's my cousin!" Theodred hissed. "Let me go to him!"

"Wait." Liz said. "You can't really see anyone's face from here!"

Disregarding her advice, Theodred ran out of the brush. Liz slapped her hand to her face and rushed after him. She quickly ducked to the ground when an arrow whizzed past her ear. Covering her head with her hands, she heard Theodred screaming for them to stop.

A loud voice bellowed. "CEASE FIRE!" A sudden silence filled the air. The only sound that was able to be heard was the sound of metal shifting and the water flowing from the river. Then she heard footsteps in the rocks coming steadily towards her then stop. Liz reluctantly took her hands away from her head and looked upwards. Right above her was a face that was described countless times in the Lord of the Rings books. Eomer, son of Eomund was standing right in front of her and pointing a sword in her face.

"Who are you?" He asked roughly. When she stammered, he shouted. "Speak!"

"E-Elizabeth!" She said, stumbling as she lifted herself from the ground. "I'm Liz!"

Theodred ran back towards his cousin. He had been conversing with some soldiers. "Eomer, this lady saved my life! You should not be questioning her so harshly! She should be accepted, not harassed!"

Eomer looked skeptically at Liz and her attire. "Does he speak the truth?"

"If you count throwing a rock at an orc, then yes."

Eomer's face twitched for a moment before he shouted at his company. "We ride back to Edoras! Bring forth a horse!"

Liz was stunned. She believed that Eomer was one of the toughest, most brutal, and most hard core characters out of the whole Lord of the Rings Trilogy, but she saw something that made her question her previous preconceived notions.

_Did he just…smile?_

**

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A/N: Questions, comments, thoughts, concerns, feelings? Message me! **


	3. Getting Closer

**Dear Readers, **

**There are two things that can come from being sick: 1. sickness, and 2. time to spend working on stories. I must say (I don't like being boastful), but I am extremely proud of myself for whipping out a chapter this quickly! There are a few surprises in this chapter, so be on the lookout! **

**Questions, comments, thoughts, concerns, feelings? Private message me! My inbox is always open! **

**- Bane

* * *

**

**~*3*~**

***Adoniel***

"Look!" Adoniel shouted. The group was running between a set of giant rocks while following the group of orcs and uruk hai. A glint in the ground caught her eye. She had been staring at the ground for a purpose: Pippin's brooch from Lorien. Even though she lost her foresight, she hoped that there would still be signs that she could look for to help the remaining Fellowship. She pointed to the brooch, not daring to pick it up lest she destroy some sort of evidence that Aragorn would need.

Aragorn sprinted towards her and knelt to the ground, picking up the leaf shaped brooch. He turned it around in his fingers, observing it. "Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall." He murmured to himself. He looked outwards towards the band of uruk hai, invisible to his eyes, in the distance.

Legolas and Boromir caught up with him, panting. Legolas looked at the brooch, a glimmer of hope shining in his eyes. "They may yet be alive!"

"How far ahead?" Boromir asked, leaning over and putting his hands on his knees as he temporarily regained his breath.

"Less than a day ahead of us." Aragorn replied. He quickly lifted himself from the ground and resumed running. "Come!"

The three began running again, dodging the various rocks on the plains. Adoniel hated the geography of this place. There were no trees to hide behind, only spare rocks. They were vulnerable in this location and it made her nervous. Boromir noticed she was troubled and attempted a small smile as they ran. She gave a small smile as well before focusing back on the matter at hand.

Legolas shouted behind him at the struggling Gimli. "Come, Gimli! We're gaining on them!"

Adoniel giggled slightly when she heard the clanking of metal. He had fallen down the hill again. As he struggled off of the ground, he shouted at Legolas, frustrated. "We dwarves are natural sprinters; VERY dangerous over short distances!"

As they headed over the large hill ahead of them, Legolas sprinted before Aragorn and skillfully went around the boulders until he reached a high place to look over the fields. Aragorn paused again at the top as they waited for Gimli to catch up to them.

As Gimli struggled up the hill, Aragorn informed Adoniel and Boromir. "This is Rohan, home of the Horse Lords." Adoniel and Boromir panted and nodded in understanding. The Ranger shook his head at the land before him. "There's something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures, sets its will against us." He looked over to Adoniel. "Killeam?"

Adoniel sighed. "I told you that you could call me Adoniel! Seredur already knows I am a girl, so what's the point?"

"He may know your gender," Boromir said, "But he does not yet know your lineage or your title. I agree with Aragorn; you should better keep your name a secret." He looked to everyone in the Fellowship. "Everyone should."

Adoniel nodded. He was right. There were still some safety precautions that should be taken. If only Seredur weren't so sneaky.

Aragorn asked Adoniel again. "Is there anything you know of that would hinder us and accelerate their movement?"

She thought for a moment. What was in the books and movies that she could remember? For some reason they all seemed so far off. She couldn't remember them clearly. She thought of pulling out the book, but she stopped herself. It was too risky. Closing her eyes, she thought of Merry and Pippin's abduction. Then she remembered. "They have a liquid." She said. "It's not blood, I do know that. It's a deep red though. It revitalizes them and keeps them going, like lembas on a stronger, and liquid level."

Aragorn nodded sullenly. "My fears have proven all too true." He turned to Legolas who was scanning the horizon. "Legolas, what do your elf eyes see?"

Legolas squinted. He had been attempting to get a visual on them for some time, but he finally spotted them. "The uruks turn northeast." He suddenly gasped. "They're taking the hobbits to Isenguard!"

"Saruman." Adoniel whispered. Borormir looked upon her, his face filled with horror and shock. Angrily, she kicked at the ground. "Damn it! They're taking them to Seredur and Saruman!" She began the search again this time, sprinting past the Ranger and the elf towards the uruks. Newfound speed and energy rose within her. The thought of Merry and Pippin spurred her onwards. How could she have been so stupid? Why would she think they would be taken to Mordor just because things had changed?

Borormir suddenly came up next to her. She looked at him and noticed the same determination in his eyes. "Why wouldn't they take them to Mordor?"

"You thought the same thing?" Adoniel asked.

"Yes!" Boromir thought. "Taking them to Sauron would bring the information the Dark Lord wants sooner, or so I thought!"

Adoniel thought some more and dodged the rocks. When she passed a small, circular rock, it hit her. "Palantir!" When Boromir showed confusion, she explained. "Saruman has a palantir! It's an orb that lets you communicate with whomever has another one. It's like talking face to face except over a long distance. There are only seven of them, but I bet Sauron has one! That's probably the reason why they are being taken there! And…" She paused. "I have a strong feeling that Seredur wants something more than just Saruman's approval of things."

"You think he wants the Ring?"

"I'm not sure. I wouldn't think so, but you never know."

***Seredur* **

_Stupid elves._ Seredur thought to himself. He cleaned off his blade with a fallen warrior's tunic. _I can't believe I used to be one of them._

It was true. He did used to be an elf, or at least until Saruman showed him something: power. Once Seredur tasted the bittersweet feeling of power, he wanted more. It was as if an addiction had taken over him. He constantly needed it. Once he had rejected the ways of his people in Lorien, they had exiled him. That was when Saruman took him under his wing.

It was the biggest mistake that Saruman would ever make in his life.

Seredur smirked as he saw and elf struggling for life. He sauntered over to him and crouched next to him. The elf spit in his face. Wiping the saliva which was mixed with blood off eye, Seredur glared at him

"It would not be wise to spit upon the man whom can take your life or destroy it."

The brown haired elf laughed to the best of his ability. "You have no power over me. Once the **Vanwa Haleth** _(Lost Lady) _returns you are done for, _Aerandir_."

Seredur grabbed the elf's hair and sneered. "Trust me, Gildor. If the **Vanwa Haleth** _(Lost Lady) _ever shows her face she will be annihilated."

"I have seen **Vanwa Haleth** _(the Lost Lady)_, and so has a companion of mine!"

Seredur held a knife to his throat. He breathed out his words, one at a time, stressing them with his fury. "Where…is…she?"

Gildor smiled and coughed again. "You will never find her. My friend and I would rather die by your hand then confess."

Seredur looked deeply into Gildor's eyes. They shone with the light of the truth, but Seredur saw through them. He chuckled darkly. "You lie horribly, Gildor. You always did, even in the past when father knew it was my fault."

"All the times that I lied I lied to help you, brother, not destroy you." Gildor said.

"Why did you come back?" Seredur hissed. "I thought you had left with the others? Did you come to take what was mine, like my friends and my lover, Lessien?"

"You _killed_ Lessien and you deserted your friends! The fault was not mine! I came back," Gildor coughed blood and then continued. "I came back because someone convinced me not to run from my fears, but to face them. There is always hope."

Seredur pressed the knife deeper into Gildor's skin. The green eyed elf winced as a thin line of blood seeped down his neck. "Who was it?" When Gildor did not answer, Seredur yelled and dug the knife deeper into his trachea. "WHO WAS IT?"

"Kil…leam." Gildor gasped out. As he struggled for breath, Seredur slashed the knife against his brother, killing him instantly. He picked up the corpse of his brother and walked towards his horse. Since Gildor spilled his secrets, Seredur would need his brother for a little while longer.

He had the information he needed.

***Elizabeth***

"…And the horses are the best in all of Middle Earth! Trust me, Elizabeth, if you knew how to ride you would find the horses very tame and very responsive to instruction."

"But I can ride horses!" Liz said. The two were sharing a horse. "I used to ride them…where I came from!"

Theodred looked at her inquisitively. "They let you ride in South Dayata?"

"Dakota." Liz said, laughing. "And yes, they do."

"But…that is not something a woman should do."

Liz sighed. "Where I live, things are run a bit differently."

Eomer grunted. Liz looked over at him. He was smirking to himself, but when he turned away and back again, his expression took on that of a stone. What was with this guy? He would laugh and smile, but yet he wouldn't show it. What was wrong?

"Welcome to Edoras!" Eomer declared. His face fell.

Liz noticed his change in attitude. "What's wrong?"

Theodred tapped Liz on the shoulder. "My father is fading. He is overcome by something strange…I'm not sure what it is."

Liz rolled her eyes. "Yeah, it's called possession."

All of the soldiers turned towards her. She shrunk against Theodred. Eomer looked at her skeptically. "How do you know it is possession…?"

"But you have never seen my father!" Theodred said.

Liz thought quickly. "It's just…I…I heard about him! We hear Rohan news in Dakota!"

Eomer turned away and frowned. The other soldiers turned away as well. Liz sighed in relief. _Watch your mouth, Liz. _

The troop dismounted and headed towards the great throne room. Liz noticed that all of the civilians were dressed in black. _Who died? _She thought. Eomer and Theodred continued to direct her towards the Main Hall. When they were in the last hallway, a woman turned the corner and ran to them. She quickly embraced Eomer, sighing in relief.

"Thank the Valar you are alive!" She breathed out. Turning to Theodred, she did the same. Finally, when she turned to Liz, she furrowed her eyebrows. "Who are you?"

"This is Elizabeth of South Dabota!" Theodred exclaimed.

"Dakota." Liz corrected again. She bowed slightly. "It is nice to meet you."

She smiled. "Same to you. I am Eowyn." Eowyn turned to Eomer. "You should speak of your battles to our Uncle."

Eowyn headed down the hallway and they all followed. Kneeling by his side, she took Theoden's hand and caressed it as if he were on his death bed. Liz felt her heart sink at the sight. He looked hideous. His hair was in a state of disarray.

"Your son was ambushed by orcs, my Lord." She whispered. "He has come to see you."

The king said something incoherent and tilted his head towards Eowyn. She smiled, but the smile seemed to be forced.

"My men and I were ambushed by orcs." Theodred stated, bowing to his father.

When the king showed no sign of understanding, Eomer took action. Liz jumped slightly when Eomer pushed past her angrily towards his uncle. "If we do not defend our country, Saruman will take it by force!" His shouts reverberated off of the walls of the spacious hall. Liz swallowed nervously.

"_That_," A stressed voice called out. "Is a lie." A man came around the corner. He was pale and thin, but covered in black cltothing. His nose was large and narrow, almost pointed at the end. Liz growled. This had to be Grima. Grima Wormtongue. Grima continued. "Saruman the White has ever been our friend and ally."

Eomer boiled with fury. "Orcs are roaming freely across our lands; unchecked, unchallenged, killing at will!" He dropped a helmet to the floor. All eyes landed on the white hand that covered the front. "Orcs bearing the White Hand of Saruman."

Liz believed that Grima would have no comeback. Eomer's argument was stable, but she was enraged when he replied. "Why do you lay these troubles on an already troubled mind? Can you not see your uncle is wearied by your malcontent, your warmongering?" He knelt next to the king and the king said his name over and over again. Liz couldn't take it anymore.

"Maybe," Liz shouted angrily. "His mind is troubled because of you!" The room went silent. Grima looked upon Liz with anger, embarrassment, and…was that fear? She continued. "What do you whisper to him that he'll listen to you and not to his own family? Why hasn't anyone questioned his condition? Didn't it start just after you arrived, Grima?"

Eomer put a hand on Liz's shoulder as Grima stood up angrily. "Someone should take that _child _to the dungeons!"

Theodred came up next to Liz as well. "Never. She is my…adviser." Liz looked shocked as Theodred nodded his head, sending a silent message. _Just go along with it. _

Grima took a step back. He was not expecting the son of the king to order him around. "Adviser? The Prince has no need of an adviser!"

"If the Prince decides he has need of an adviser," Eomer spat out. "Then the Prince may do what he pleases."

Grima frowned and stared at Liz. "Very well, then." He slithered out of the room without another word. Liz finally breathed. She did not notice that she was holding her breath. Theodred turned towards her and smiled.

"So…what should I do, adviser?"

**

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**A/N: Dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnnnnn. I just felt like saying that. So what do you think? Please review! **


	4. Threats

**Dear Readers,**

**I am VERY sorry for my delayed absence! I had three projects due in a single week and periodontal surgery. The good news is that I worked on the story while I was recovering! This chapter is double the size of the last chapters, so hopefully this appeases you! Again, I'm sorry for my absence. **

**If you have any questions, comments, thoughts, concerns, or feelings, please review them or PM me! My inbox is always open and I will try to respond to you as soon as humanly possible. **

**Another thing: Someone approached me and asked if they could draw some fan art or make a YouTube video for this story. If you are thinking the same thoughts, then go right ahead! If you do though, please cite my story and send me the link! (I want to see too!) **

**Shout out to Josie Nox! Your letter is on it's way! I'M SORRY! **

**- Bane**

**P.S I'm sorry if this chapter is confusing or makes no sense. Please tell me if you are confused. **

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**~*4*~**

***Adoniel***

_STILL. RUNNING_. Adoniel thought. _WHEN WILL IT END?_ There were momentary rests, but they were short. The small group was very tired and extremely temperamental. Even though there were troubles with distance, there was some hope. By some miracle, they were closing the gap between them and the orcs. Aragorn still found it to be a mystery.

"I do not know what has caused them delay." He said. "This behavior is peculiar."

Adoniel smiled. _Good job, __Merry and Pippin. _

"We must increase our speed!" Aragorn shouted, causing Boromir to groan. "They are close!"

Legolas kept a steady pace behind Aragorn. Boromir and Adoniel stayed behind to be with Gimli. Gimli, who was not very happy about running, commented on Aragorn's plan.

"How are we supposed to kill orcs when we are running to our deaths?" Gimli spat. "If we keep running we will never defeat our foes, especially since they are more in size!"

"That is true." Boromir agreed, panting. He looked over to Adoniel. "Do you have any suggestions?"

Adoniel pondered over his question. "I don't know." She shook her head. "I don't know how much energy I'll have. I might not be able to do spells."

Gimli grumbled. "So much for bringing along a useless magician."

Adoniel was about to retort angrily, but Boromir stopped her.

"Save it for our foes."

It was soon nighttime in the Gap of Rohan. The quintet had reached the outskirts of the Forest of Fangorn and was watching the uruks and orcs bicker while Merry and Pippin lay fearfully on the ground. Adoniel shook her head. _I thought we would _never _make it. _At the moment, they were hiding in the brush provided by the Fangorn. As they watched, Adoniel noticed that Aragorn was deep in thought. He was devising a plan.

Legolas crawled towards Adoniel and looked onward at the orcs. "**Nadorhuanrim**" _(Cowardly dogs)_ He hissed. Looking over, he spied Adoniel's worried face. "**Mani naa ta?**" _(What is it?)_ He asked, troubled by her expression.

Adoniel sighed. "**Amin dele ten' sen.**" _(I am worried about them.)_

Legolas smiled and gently took a hold of her hand. "**Uuma dela**." _(Do not worry.)_

Adoniel slipped her hand out of his. She was afraid that she was getting too close. Legolas sensed her discomfort, but Adoniel made an excuse.

"We should focus on the matter at hand." She said.

Legolas nodded as Aragorn strode over to them.

"Our 'friends' are easily irascible." The Ranger declared. "What we are going to do is divide them and conquer."

"So we're pulling a Julius Caesar?" Adoniel asked. The others looked upon her in confusion.

"…I suppose." Aragorn said. "To divide them, we need to start an argument." He turned to Adoniel. "Can you do something to upset them?"

"I can—."

"I'm starvin'." A uruk shouted out. The group quieted themselves and snuck towards the brush again to view the disturbance. A large uruk was inspecting something that looked like a dirty sponge. "We ain't had nothin' but maggoty bread for three stinkin' days!"

Gimli tapped Adoniel on the shoulder, smiling. "That'll slow them down since their stomachs are empty." Adoniel pressed a finger to her lips and resumed watching.

"Yeah," An orc agreed. "Why can't we have some meat?"

Adoniel froze. From the little that she could remember since her foresight was taken, she remembered this moment. They were considering eating Merry and Pippin. Now that the future had changed, they might actually devour them! She grabbed Legolas's bow and ran towards a tree. Legolas jumped up in alarm and ran after her. Boromir followed.

"What the devil is she doing _now_?" Boromir asked Legolas. Adoniel had begun climbing a tree with Legolas's bow slung over her back.

"Come down!" Legolas hissed. "The uruks will spot you!"

She perched herself on a tree branch and waited for the right moment to shoot. Blocking out any other sounds, she just focused on the right time to fire.

"Alive? Why alive? Do they give good sport?"

"They have something. An Elvish weapon. The Master wants it for the War."

She fired, and a slender stick hit the back of the leader uruk's head. His hand immediately went to the back of his head and he turned around to see an orc behind him. He growled at the smaller monster in front of him. Quickly, he put his sword into the orc's gut and laughed when its body fell to the ground. The other orcs were not happy and began attacking the uruks. A giant fight had broken out. Adoniel jumped from her perch, landing in Legolas's outstretched arms. She smiled.

"There's your distraction."

Aragorn and Gimli rushed to meet the rest of their team. "Hurry! We must find Merry and Pippin!"

The five rushed from the safety of the forest and dove into the fray. The uruks and orcs didn't notice their presence as they searched the ground for the hobbits. Adoniel tried to concentrate while she dodged through the various fist and weapon fights, but it was useless. She couldn't find them. Pulling herself out of the battle, she looked on from the sidelines, hoping to see something useful. Soon, Legolas emerged from the fray, carrying Merry. Adoniel rushed towards him, taking Merry from his grasp. Marry clung onto Adoniel, hugging her tightly.

"Take him into the forest!" Legolas shouted.

"What about you?" Adoniel yelled back.

Legolas didn't answer as he ran back into the battle. Pushing Merry off of her, she then took his hand and ran into the forest. There, they waited for the others. Merry looked shaken as he stared at the fight.

"Are you okay?" Adoniel asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He shuddered. "They weren't the best of hosts." He managed a smile. "I'm worried about Pippin and…other things."

"Pippin will be alright." Adoniel said. Then she stopped. "What other things?"

"Seredur intercepted us before he went somewhere else." Merry confessed. "He said that he had people he needed to kill. I thought he was talking about you, but seeing as how you're still alive—."

"Who?" Adoniel asked, taking Merry by the shoulders. "Please, Merry, if you can remember _anything_ it would help!"

"H-he didn't specify!" Merry sputtered.

She made a fist and punched the ground in frustration. Merry cringed and backed away from her. Realizing what she had done, she tried to apologize for scaring him, but he held up his hand and nodded. She sighed. Anything about Seredur was putting her on edge. _I guess what he said was right. _She thought. _He would always be waiting, even if that meant in my thoughts too. _

Soon, Pippin reunited with Merry and the rest of the group followed Aragorn into the forest. The men were out of breath from fighting and were tired. The hobbits were tired from sleepless nights brought on by fear. Aragorn suggested that they stay in the safety of the forest to which everyone agreed with. As soon as the company laid down their heads, they fell asleep.

A short while later Adoniel woke up from a dreamless sleep. She yawned, stretched, and moved nimbly around her comrades as she went to take a stroll around the forest. It was morning and the sky was a dull pink which provided a perfect light. The forest was quiet, for the sun had not wake the morning creatures and the animals of the night had just prepared to sleep. As she walked, she thought about Seredur. _People to kill? _She thought to herself. _Who would he be killing? _

Suddenly there was the sound of footsteps behind her. She stopped walking and stood still. The noise stopped as well. Waiting for a moment, she made sure that the sound she heard wasn't just her being paranoid. When the sound didn't persist, she relaxed and began walking. _Stupid me. There's no one else here! It's most likely some animal or one of the guys making sure I'm okay…again._ She was wrong. A strong hand grabbed her wrist from her side and twisted it behind her back painfully. She was about to scream when a knife appeared in front of her eyes.

"Do you see this knife? If you scream, I will use it to slit your throat."

She hissed in anger as the grip on her wrist tightened. "_Seredur_."

Seredur chuckled darkly. "Yes, that is my name." He moved the knife away from her eyes and onto her neck. "Do you know why I'm here?"

Adoniel swallowed, trying to hide her fear. "To kill me."

He laughed. "Kill you? Oh, don't be so humble!" Seredur whispered into her ear. "I'm saving you for last, **melamin**." _(my dear)_

Adoniel tried to twist away from his grasp. "Then what do you want?"

"I just wanted to scare you." Seredur stated, smiling. "It's too much fun to see you frightened. Besides, Saruman called me back for some reason, so I decided to find you while I was here."

"You're sick." Adoniel growled.

Seredur was about to respond when he was hit in the back by a powerful force, causing Adoniel to fall with him. Adoniel fell to the ground face first. Saruma's apprentice pushed her to the ground and gasped. "You?" There was a loud crack and Seredur was gone.

Adoniel raised herself off of the ground quickly. She gasped in surprise when she saw a figure in white in front of her. Her eyes filled quickly with tears as the figure smiled at her.

"Gandalf." She managed to say before she ran to him, embracing him as tears poured from her eyes.

***Elizabeth***

A day passed in the Golden Hall. Liz was granted the luxury of staying inside the grand building. To avoid suspicion and tired of the strange expressions she was receiving, Liz changed clothing. She now wore a soft green dress with gold embroidery. A brown belt looped about her waist. Soft, leather boots kept her feet warm in the drafty building. It was thanks to her new friend Eowyn that she had this new attire. The two friends now walked down the hallways of the immense Hall. They found friendship rather quickly for they both shared the same interests such as horse riding and their intense hate for Grima.

"He speaks to my uncle as if he were speaking to a child." Eowyn confessed. "Every day he becomes weaker and more senile. Theoden is about forty years old, yet he looks as if age has taken him."

Liz stopped walking. Eowyn walked further, but when she noticed that her friend had stopped, she turned around. Liz had her hands clenched into tight fists. Grima made her so angry. She knew he was working for Saruman, but if she kept on letting things slip out she could be arrested, or even worse…killed. It frustrated her. There was one person who could help her get rid of Grima…but if that one person were to be exiled like the books said, then Rohan would have little to no defense.

"I…I need to talk to Eomer." Liz said.

"Why?" Eoywn asked.

"I heard Grima talk about banishing him. I just want to make sure that he doesn't do anything…stupid."

Eowyn gasped. "How did you find out this?"

Liz chuckled slightly. "He doesn't just mutter to your uncle."

As quickly as she could, Eowyn ran through the halls guiding Elizabeth. Liz prayed silently that she would find him before it was too late. As they rounded another corner, Eowyn slowed down. She seemed to be tip toeing past a door instead of just walking. When they past, she sighed in relief.

"What was that all about?" Liz asked.

Eowyn pressed a finger to her lips, begging her friend to be quiet. "We just passed Grima's quarters! We do not wish for him to know what we are doing!"

Liz looked back to the room. The door was closed, but it didn't seem as if there was anyone inside. Perhaps, if he wasn't there, she and Eowyn could get sufficient evidence against Wormtongue? She stealthily moved closer to the door and knocked. Eowyn held her breath and mouthed 'what are you doing'. Liz tilted her head towards the door. When there was no answer, she turned the knob and opened the door. Cautiously, she peeked inside the room. There was no one inside. Books lay strewn about the floor, candles were burned to the point when the wax hardened to whatever surface they were set on, and many instruments and parchments were laid about sporadically. There was a pool of wax and a ring that were in the center of the desk by the only window in the room, which had been covered by a black cloth. A bag with a large piece of parchment sticking out lay next to those two objects. Overcome by curiosity, Liz snuck inside and went straight towards the desk to the objects that lay there.

She picked up the ring on the table. The large, gold ring with a horse's head carved carefully into the sapphire was far too large for Grima's small fingers. Liz frowned and put the ring in her boot, keeping it hidden and out of sight. Eowyn fidgeted outside the door while Liz meandered through the possessions. A sudden voice made Liz jump.

"What are you doing?"

Liz stifled her own scream by covering her mouth. Spinning towards the door, she found a flabbergasted Theodred. Sighing deeply, she waved on Eowyn to tell Theodred while she continued her search.

The bag was awfully suspicious. Liz carefully opened the cover to the satchel to reveal two objects. The parchment was still there. It was a rather long, rolled up document. The other was a round ball. It was rather peculiar looking, for it looked as if the inside of the ball was moving, like a snow globe. She was about to pick it up when a giant image of an eye flashed across its surface. Jumping back, she stared wide eyed at the orb. Liz didn't know what it was, but she knew that, whatever it was, it wasn't good. Instead of pursuing further into the orb's investigation, she opened the parchment. After reading a few lines she realized what it was.

"Bingo." She whispered.

Quickly she sprinted out of the room and went to Theodred and Eowyn's side. Theodred looked at her skeptically and took the parchment out of her hands. "What the devil is this?"

Liz turned to Eoywn. "It's what I told you about! That's an order for Eomer to leave Rohan with the penalty of death!" She quickly drew the ring from her boot. "And I don't believe your uncle would be in the right state of mind to give Grima his ring or a perfect signature." She then turned to Theodred. "I truly believe that Grima is the cause of your father's illness! Once he tries to fulfill this," She pointed to the 'royal order'. "Who knows what else he'll try to do? He'll destroy Rohan from the inside out!"

Theodred shook his head as a look of anger spread over his face. "These accusations…this handwriting…this is so unlike my father! My father loves Eomer! It had to have been forged" He took the parchment into his hands and crushed it into a ball. He glared at the crumpled paper. "You're right, Elizabeth. Grima's orders will not go into action. He will leave Rohan _tonight_ and no later." The angered prince stormed down the hallway as Liz and Eowyn rushed after him.

After following Theodred through more hallways, Liz was getting sick of the continuous cycle. Hallway, hallway, hallway. It never ended! _Don't call it the Golden Hall._ She thought. _Call it the Golden Labyrinth! _

When the trio finally entered the Hall, they found Grima kneeling at the King's side, whispering into his ear. Theoden looked into space, nodding and whispering soft words back that were inaudible. Theodred, who at first looked a bit frightened, straightened up and walked in front of the two.

"Grima Wormtongue," Theodred ordered. "By order of the crown prince, I command you to leave the city of Edoras and the province of Rohan."

Grima laughed and stood up, walking towards Theodred. Theodred took a step back, alarmed. "You have no power over me, Theodred." Grima sneered. "Only the King has the power to send me away."

Theodred stood up as tall as he could. "In the absence of the king, I am taking temporary rule."

"What?" Grima laughed. "The king is present!" He gestured to the crippled form behind him. "You have no—."

"If the king is no longer in the right mental state," Liz hissed. "Then the next in line has the obligation to step forth and direct the country in a state of crisis! There _is _a state of crisis because the crisis is _you." _

Eowyn whispered in her ear. "You know the laws of our country?"

"No." Liz whispered, smiling. "I just watch movies a lot."

"What are…movies?"

"They're…never mind."

Grima glared at Liz as a large crowd gathered in the Hall, drawn by the raised voices. The people whispered among themselves about the matter at hand. There were various questions such as "what is going on?" and "is he going to leave?". Wormtongue looked around nervously, which made Liz grin. She knew that this had to be the moment. Grima was going to leave.

The door to the Hall burst open as Eomer and his band of Riders came. All were heavily armed. With his horse helmet, he appeared truly terrifying. His soldiers surrounded Grima, pointing their spears dangerously close to him. Eomer strode towards the terrified man, taking off his helmet.

"Grima." Eomer hissed. "The people of Rohan have spoken. You are now banished from the Kingdom of Rohan."

"Dude," Liz whispered to Eowyn. "How did he know what we were planning?"

"Your language still confuses me." Eowyn whispered back. She was about to answer when Theodred answered for her.

"When you two were being _so slow_, I met Eomer briefly and told him of our plan."

"You little sneak!" Liz laughed, smiling at Theodred who gave a smug smile of his own. She waved tauntingly to the angry Grima as he was roughly escorted out of the door. The people yelled and rejoiced as they followed the soldiers and Grima.

"We should go outside and watch." Eowyn said. "Just to make sure that nothing goes awry."

The trio made their way out the door. Theodred and Eowyn went out first. Liz was about to shut the door behind her when she heard a voice calling out softly. It was more like a mumble, but Liz could hear it loud and clear. She made sure that Eowyn and Theodred had their backs to her before she snuck back inside the Hall. Closing the door gently, she then walked towards the center of the room.

"Is someone there?" She called out. There was no reply at first, but then she heard another mumble. It was coming from the King. At first she stood there, rigid. She didn't know how to react. When the mumble came again and the king gestured gingerly for her to come closer to him, she reluctantly walked closer. She bowed first before she knelt at Theoden's side. Theoden turned towards her. She gasped. His eyes seemed empty, clouded over. Wrinkles had sunk deep into his face. A once cheerful expression that had graced his face was now replaced with a permanent scowl.

Cringing, she asked "Yes, m'lord?"

At first he did nothing. He stared deep into her eyes, unmoving and showing no expression. Every instinct in her gut was telling her to run, to sprint, to get as far away from Theoden as possible, but…he was the king. He was sick. It wasn't like he could-

As quick as a bolt of lightning, Theoden grabbed Liz's hand. She jumped with fright at his sudden movement. Pulling at his hand, she realized that he wasn't going to let go. She started screaming, but the King wrapped his hand around Liz's neck and began to strangle her. Theoden began laughing darkly. Liz's eyes widened when she heard the King speak, especially when she realized that the voice was not his own.

"You think you could hide from _me, _**Istar**?" _(Wizard)_

Liz gasped for air and managed to breathe out. "What…the…hell?"

"You have used many kinds of trickery, but this simple disguise will not save you."

"What…the…hell…is..." She tore at the hand on her throat. Dark spots blotted her vision. She gasped for air when he slightly let go of her. "An…Istar?"

"Don't play coy with me_, Killeam_." The controlled Theoden spat. "I know you are Gandalf's apprentice."

"Again, WHAT THE HELL?" Liz shouted. Theoden squeezed her throat again, making her wheeze. "I have…no idea…what you are talking about."

"Stop playing games with me!" Theoden shouted. As soon as the echoes died in the Hall, Liz realized what…or who was controlling Theoden.

"Y-you're Sa-Sa-Saruman!" Liz sputtered. She never dreamed she would meet a super mega evil wizard, especially one like Saruman. Now that she was trapped by him, her panic increased.

"Aren't you a smart one?" Saruman sneered through Theoden.

Liz growled at him. "If I could be a freaking_ Istar_ I would so totally be zapping you right now!"

Suddenly, the door opened and Eomer walked into the Hall. Liz saw her chance and screamed.

"EOMER, SARUMAN IS CONTROLLING YOUR FATH-!" She choked as Theoden's controlled hand tightened around her throat once more.

Eomer sprinted to his father's seat and drew his sword. He put it to the controlled king's neck and growled. "Let her free or I will dismember you."

Theoden laughed. "Eomer, would you kill your uncle, your kin?" His grip around Liz's neck increased, causing her to cry out. She was starting to feel dizzy. "Strike me down, and Theoden falls with me."

At first, Eomer looked conflicted. He looked from Liz to Theoden and back again. Finally, with reluctance, he whispered. "I'm sorry, Uncle." He quickly took the butt of his sword's hilt and hit Theoden on the top of his head. The king crumpled and fell back into his chair. Liz shook of Theoden's hand, coughing and gasping for breath. Eomer rushed to her side.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

Liz coughed. "You…you saved me." She coughed again and regained herself. "Why?"

Eomer took a piece of crumpled parchment from a pouch on his belt. It was the order for his arrest.

"Because you saved me."

Liz waved a hand. "It was nothing, honestly."

"How did you know of Grima's intentions?" He asked.

"Um…" For once, Liz couldn't use 'the internet' as an excuse. "Girl's intuition?" She gazed back at the king. "What are we going to do about…him?"

Eomer stroked his chin in contemplation. "I don't know." He sighed. "But hopefully he can be saved."


	5. Expulsion From the Mind and Heart

**Dear Readers, **

**...**

**No words can explain the guilt that I feel for not updating. I just finished the chapter this morning and it took forever to finish. I had an awful case of writer's block and a bunch of things from real life holding me back (leg injury, lacrosse, school, work...you get the gist). Now that this is finished, I can start the new chapter in peace. **

**WARNING: THIS ISN'T MY BEST WORK. I COULD ONLY WORK ON THIS AT NIGHT OR EARLY IN THE MORNING...MEANING RIGHT NOW.**

**I will be prepared for any flames and so forth. **

**Good news though: this is one of the longest chapters for this story that I have ever done! More for you to read, my readers! **

**As stated before, please review. It is greatly appreciated, no matter what the criticism. **

**~ Bane**

**P.S For updates and more fun things, check out my author's page.**

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**~*5*~**

***Seredur***

"WHY DID YOU FIND IT NECESSARY TO INTERRUPT ME?" Seredur roared with rage as he entered his master's study. "I was SO CLOSE," He pounded his fist against the desk. "to my destination and you _called me back!_"

"I found the apprentice's location." Saruman said gleefully. He gestured to his palantir. "See for yourself."

Seredur shook his head. "I know where that blasted girl is, I was just with…" He had looked into the palantir to see what King Theoden was seeing. He recognized that spoiled brat Theodred, the expressionless Eomer, and the pale Eowyn, but there was a face he had not seen before.

"Well, well, well." Seredur chuckled to himself. "Who are you?"

He watched the girl in the palantir. Her skin was darker than the others', but not by much. Golden hair framed her face. Seredur stared into her grey blue eyes as she looked upon the decrepit king nervously. There was an odd look about the girl, an aura that she was utterly confused and dazed, as if…

"As if she were a dream." Seredur murmured to himself with a smile. He knew that there was one other in this world that had once wore the same expression. When he had saved the pitiful girl from the mountains, she had the same look. He pulled himself to his full height and straightened his tunic. "Well, my senile friend, you managed to find an average girl instead of the apprentice, butyou gave us a _marvelous _opportunity."

Saruman cocked an eyebrow. "An opportunity for what, exactly?"

"We will leave her alone for now." Seredur said demandingly, picking up his sword and reattaching it to his belt. "But when I can't find the Apprentice, I will know who to go after."

Saruman rose from his chair, the air around him crackling dangerously with energy as his anger rose. "I have had enough of your demands, _novice. _I am _your master_! You take orders from _me_."

Seredur was about to retaliate, but stopped himself.

_Not now. Wait. Your opportunity will come. _

"Of course." Seredur said slyly, his voice smooth as silk. He bowed and left the room.

Without another word, Seredur slipped out of Saruman's study. Once he was outside, he found his black steed that was stamping his hooves impatiently against the hard, rock gravel. With a loud shout, he urged his horse onward now towards his first destination.

_It will not be long now. _

***Adoniel***

"Gandalf, I'm so sorry!" Adoniel sobbed into Gandalf's cloak. "I screwed up. I screwed up so badly and I can't fix it. I changed everything and it's all my fault!"

"Hush, child." Gandalf whispered as he embraced his apprentice he had missed. "What is done is done. There is nothing that we can change now."

"But, Gandalf, who knows if we'll win this war? What will happen if—?"

"We didn't know the future before you came, did we?" Gandalf said. Adoniel dried her eyes and looked up at him, confused. "The Fellowship did a fine job without knowing what was to come. Why should it be so different now?"

"But…Sauron was going to be defeated in the end." Adoniel sniffled. "Mordor was going to be destroyed and—."

"And we can still accomplish that." Gandalf declared. "We will just have to find another way." He smiled. "We should move onward. Let us find the rest of the Company and move forward."

"Where to?" Adoniel asked.

"Edoras, the capital of Rohan and the dwelling of the Royal Family." Gandalf sighed. "You must have done a great deal, for now Theodred is ruling and Theoden's mind is poisoned."

"Theodred's the king?" Adoniel said. "How do you know?"

"I know new things," Gandalf confessed. "But not older things. I was awaken just yesterday, so I do not know of much. For instance, what took place when I was gone from this world? Who was that strange man trying to kill you?"

"Oh boy…"

Adoniel then explained everything that happened since the incident at the entrance of Moria. He stayed expressionless, even in the midst of her mistakes and failures. When she finished he did not react. Standing awkwardly, the apprentice waited impatiently for her master to respond. When Gandalf showed no sign of comprehension, she spoke.

"Please say something." Adoniel said.

Gandalf stood still for a while longer before shaking his head as if to bring him back to reality. "I apologize. I was deep in thought."

"As always." Adoniel commented, smiling.

Gandalf managed a small smile. "Your news does trouble me. Seredur will definitely give the Dark Lord leverage, but we do have a few advantages to our efforts."

"Such as…?"

"All of the rings are safe." He stated. "Narya is being put to good use, Vilya and Nenya are safe, and the One Ring is journeying the Mount Doom to be destroyed."

Adoniel nodded. Gandalf was right. With Gandalf's logic, she saw a clear advantage. Things couldn't get that much worse…right?

The two walked back towards the camp side by side, talking about Adoniel's advances in her magic studies and Elvish. As soon as they reached the camp, the remaining Fellowship members awoke. When they caught sight of Gandalf, they either stiffened with fright or jumped up out of shock.

Aragorn looked upon the white wizard with amazement. "You fell."

Gandalf nodded. "Through fire…and water, but now I come back to you at the turn of the tide." He addressed the Fellowship as a whole. "There is business to be conducted in Rohan. We must begin preparing for war. There is no time to waste. We must move onward!"

The Fellowship was now riding towards Rohan upon steeds that Gandalf summoned with a simple whistle (Adoniel was envious of his ability to summon horses…and his ability to whistle). Adoniel shared a dark brown horse with Pippin, who had fallen asleep during their journey. She looked out to her other companions. Legolas and Gimli shared a grey horse. Gimli looked as if he were going to be sick. Boromir rode upon a tan horse with a dark mane. Merry rode with him and had fallen asleep just as Pippin had. Aragorn and Gandalf led the expedition to Rohan as they rode on their own, separate horses.

It took until the sun had reached its peak in the sky before the Fellowship arrived at the gates of Edoras. Two lone guards stood at attention when the horses drew near. When they reached the outside of the wall, Gandalf stopped his horse. Aragorn rode to his side and they started conversing with the guards quietly. Adoniel was filled with curiosity as they whispered to each other and glanced backwards at her. Legolas leaned towards her and whispered in her ear as to not draw attention from Gandalf and Aragorn and so he would not wake up Pippin.

"Why have we not entered the city?"

"I'm not sure." Adoniel muttered. "It's kind of creepy how they're just sitting there."

"Do you think they know something that we do not?" Gimli asked.

Boromir and Merry rode up to meet the other two horses. "What are we doing?" Merry asked. "Why have we stopped?"

"Not sure." Gimli grunted, looking down at his stomach which was growling loudly. "But I am starving."

Adoniel looked once again back to Aragorn and Gandalf. They had stopped talking and were staring at her. After a moment, Gandalf motioned her to come to them. So she would not wake Pippin, she dismounted her horse and let Pippin lie in the saddle. Jogging, she soon met up with the Ranger and wizard.

"What's wrong?" Adoniel asked.

Gandalf stared down at her, his face stricken with sorrow. Adoniel looked between the four men's faces, her heart beginning to pound quickly as panic took over her. "What's happened?"

"The king is more poisoned than we imagined." Gandalf admitted. "Saruman has delved so deep into Theoden's mind…" He sighed.

Adoniel gasped in alarm when the horrible realization finally struck her.

***Elizabeth***

The four friends stood in a circle talking to one another. They had been discussing the situation with Theoden for the past hour. The relief from the absent Grima was now gone and replaced with a growing dread. While Liz, Eowyn, and Theodred discussed ideas to cure the king of Rohan, Eomer stood quietly with his arms folded. Every once in a while he would steal a glance at his uncle. It was after a moment that he stepped between Theoden and Liz. Liz looked at him skeptically, especially when he leaned towards her and whispered in her ear.

"He was watching you."

Liz froze. "What do you mean _watching me_?"

Eomer turned back to his uncle, who smiled wickedly back at him before he turned back. "He was staring at you. His eyes were…"

"Creepy?"

He furrowed his eyebrows. "I swear, I will never understand your vocabulary. I was going to say 'demented'."

Liz shrugged. "It sounds the same."

Suddenly, the doors burst open and a soldier ran inside. Instead of panicking, the soldier was actually rejoicing. The four turned to him, confused. When the soldier caught his breath, he shouted for joy.

"Mithrandir is here! It is Mithrandir and his apprentice!"

Liz, surprised, turned to Eowyn. "Apprentice?" She then looked at Eomer. "Is that what your uncle was talking about?"

"It is news that we heard about a short while ago." Eowyn said. "We heard the news from orcs first. We believed they were lying, but then villagers came from the west saying that a fire wizard had allied with Gandalf and was killing orcs."

"Some say that he can bend fire to his will." Theodred whispered. "They say that it never burns him and welcomes him as a friend."

"Others say that he speaks many different languages and that he has spoken with the Valar themselves!"

Liz went through her mind, pulling out possibilities for this new wizard. Was it Radagast? _Oh, wait_, she thought, _that was the pervert who sent me here_. Who was this new apprentice then?

She spun around quickly when she heard the doors open. Her heart skipped beats when she saw who walked through the threshold. Gandalf lead the group with a white staff in his hand. Behind him were Aragorn, then Gimli, Pippin, Merry, Boromir…wait…

_**BOROMIR? **_

Liz faltered in her balance slightly. Eomer put a steady hand on her back. She heard him chuckle softly, but she ignored him. Why was Boromir _alive? _In the books he was supposed to be dead by now!

She was then distracted by a series of gasps and whispers as the last two men walked into the room. Legolas, with his Elven grace, walked into the room with another man at his side. This man was smaller than Aragorn, Legolas, and Boromir. He held a brown staff with engravings of vines and flames as he walked with confidence behind the troop. Although his face and hair was covered, Liz could still see his eyes. They were a deep brown, but towards the center they had an orange look as if the man's pupils were on fire. The man glanced at Liz once, but what confused Liz was that he looked confused or thoughtful as if Liz reminded him of someone.

Soon the entire group was stopped in front of Eomer, Theodred, and Eowyn. They all bowed to the royal family before Gandalf spoke. "We are here to serve the king in any way."

Theodred took a deep breath. "Please…if you can, save my father."

"Show him to me."

Eomer and Eowyn stepped aside and let Gandalf pass. He walked for a short distance before he waved his hand, motioning for the apprentice to follow. The apprentice followed him, staring at Theodred before he ran to catch up to Gandalf. Liz followed the rest of the crowd as they headed toward Theoden's throne. Theoden looked in alarm at Gandalf when the two wizards neared, but when he caught sight of the apprentice he began to laugh. Liz shivered. His laugh was very dark and menacing.

"You bring a novice to drive me from Theoden, Storm Crow?" The voice of Saruman erupted from Theoden. People began to flee from the throne room as they heard the wizard speak from their king. Only few remained. Liz looked to the apprentice. He looked perturbed. Theoden glared at the apprentice. "You have given me trouble; trouble that I did not expect."

"The same goes for you, too." The apprentice growled.

"Still afraid to show your face, Killeam?" Theoden sneered.

Liz gasped. This _was _the apprentice that he had talked about when he was strangling her. The apprentice, Killeam, narrowed his eyes. A ring on his hand began to glow as a flame grew in the palm of his hand. "I'll give you something to make you hide your face, _Saruman_." Killeam threatened.

Liz smiled and cringed. The power he wielded was a bit terrifying, but he was going to kick some Saruman butt. She liked this apprentice. _Burn that bastard's face! Go at him! _

"Stop." Gandalf demanded. "You will hurt Theoden." Killeam glanced at Gandalf before he closed his hand, extinguishing the fire. Liz now felt ashamed. She too forgot that Theoden was being controlled.

Theoden laughed again. "Your tongue may be sharp, _girl, _but your actions are easily controlled."

The entire room fell silent. Eomer frowned. All eyes rested on Killeam. He…or she, glared at Saruman and took off her face mask and hood. When auburn hair tumbled from the hood, many people gasped aloud. Liz almost screamed out loud. She held her hands over her mouth. Her knees wobbled as she sunk to the floor in surprise. Eomer went quickly to her side, but she did not pay attention to him. The girl in front of her was one that she knew personally. She was a wizard. She was Gandalf's apprentice. She travelled with the Fellowship. She could perform magic.

She was her best friend.

She was Andrea Foster.

She was Andi.

_Andi. _

"If you weren't Theoden, you would have been burnt to a crisp by now." Andi hissed.

"If I weren't Theoden, you would be begging for death in Isengard!" Theoden shouted as Andi's eyes narrowed. "If I didn't have a stubborn apprentice myself, you would have been dead months ago."

"Yes, thank the Valar for Seredur." Andi said, rolling her eyes. "I just _love _being stalked instead of killed. He's a pain in the ass and you are too, Saruman!"

Theoden went to stand up, but Gandalf shouted in a loud voice. "Theoden, son of Thengel, too long have you sat in the shadows!" When Theoden turned from him, Gandalf shouted louder. "Harken to me!" Gandalf raised his hand and uttered. "I release you from the spell."

A deep rumble filled the air. Liz looked upward, thinking that it was a storm coming in. When she realized it was Gandalf, she stared at the ground. The magic that was happening was overwhelming her. Her best friend…

Theoden suddenly began laughing hysterically. "Did you really think that I could KILL ME!"

Gandalf and Andi stepped back. The two looked at each other before looking at the king once more. Liz heard it too, as did the rest of the people. They heard the voice of their king in the last two words. Even Theoden, controlled by Saruman, was surprised.

Andi looked at her finger, staring at the red ring on her finger as if she were formulating a plan. She then took a step towards Theoden, holding her arm outward. The voice of Saruman erupted once more from the mouth of Theoden.

"What are you doing?"

Lunging at him, Andi put her hand on the king's shoulder. Liz could see her knuckles turn white as she kept steady contact on Theoden's arm. The king's face was contorted in rage, but Andi kept staring into the king's eyes.

"Fight, Theoden." Andi said quietly, but with earnest. "I know you're in there. There is hope. Fight him."

Theoden growled. "Theoden is weak. He does not stand a chance against me."

Andi squeezed his shoulder tighter. "Fight, Theoden."

"If I go, he will leave this world." Saruman's voice shouted.

**"Lle auta yeste."** _(You'll go first.) _Andi hissed, venom dripping from her words.

The king began twitching. His whole body convulsed vigorously as if there were a force inside of him. He mumbled to himself as if he were arguing as Andi stared into his eyes intently.

_ Come on, Andi. _Liz thought. She folded her hands, praying silently to anything, hoping that Theoden would be alright.

"Theoden will **die**!" Saruman yelled as loud as he could, his voice echoing off of the walls of the Hall.

**"KELA HO!"** _(Leave him!)_ Andi screamed. A bright light flashed from the ring on her finger and a scream split the air. Liz covered her eyes as the light intensified. Some people fell to their knees, afraid that the flash was fire. When the light died down, Liz uncovered her eyes. Andi had been knocked down, but she was climbing to her feet. Legolas rushed to her, holding her arm as she lifted herself up. Her hands were shaking and she was pale. Liz's gaze then fell on the king. He appeared as though he were sleeping…

"Did…did it work?" Andi asked, turning to Gandalf. Gandalf slowly made his way toward the king. He remained motionless as the old wizard knelt at his side. Liz held her breath.

Was he…dead?

Gandalf put two fingers on his wrist. He was feeling for a pulse, some sign of life from the king. With a grunt, he stood up once more, a small smile on his face.

"The king is alive."

Cheers erupted through the hall. Eowyn and Theodred embraced each other. Tears streamed from the maiden's eyes and Theodred looked elated. Even Eomer had a smile on his face. Liz shouted for joy too, doing a fist pump in the air. She rushed forward toward Andi as she and Gandalf were discussing something. Andi didn't look happy, but Liz figured that seeing her best friend would cheer her up.

"Andi!"

She didn't turn around. _Maybe she just can't hear me. _She tried again.

"Andi!"

Andi jolted at the sudden noise. When she turned, she looked at Liz with uncertainty. Liz didn't care. She rushed toward her friend and hugged her. What surprised Liz was that Andi was pushing her away. Liz backed away, feeling confused.

"Andi, it's me." Liz said, feeling as if she were coaxing Andi. "It's me, Liz. You know, your best friend."

Andi cocked her eyebrow. She looked even more confused than she had before. Her next words sent an emotional knife into Liz's heart.

"I don't know you."

* * *

**A/N: MAJOR PLOT TWIST ALERT FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER! BE PREPARED! **


	6. Author's Note: The Story Will Go On

Dear Readers,

...

It's been more than a year since I've updated this story. There are literally no words that can express how sorry I am for keeping you guys waiting so long. I can give you an entire list of valid excuses, but it still wouldn't be able to fix the wrong I've done here by not working on this story.

I am going to continue working on this. It may just be a two book series, but it will be finished if it's the last thing I do. I promise I won't leave you all hanging. You deserve to see a completed story, especially since you've been waiting so long.

And looking over what I've written...I've realised that there are a thousand things that I wish I could have done differently and things that I wish I would have never written for the Bearer of Narya, but I was...what, a freshmen? Silly freshmen me was still stuck in the Mary Sue age. Now I'm "More Experienced College Me", so hopefully I'll write better for all of you.

Again, you deserve it.

So, to give you a sneak peak (since I can't get on my laptop because my dumb charger broke), I have three details for you for this next chapter:

1. There are two more character deaths

2. More physical movement (meaning new locations)

3. Lots of character development for Andi (Adoniel) and Elizabeth (Liz)

I probably won't be able to update until August, but I promise I will update as soon as I can.

Again, sorry for the wait. I wish you all the best.

Always,

Bane


	7. Changes

**Dear Readers, **

**After an obscenely long time, I present to you the next chapter! I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, I'm sorry that it is relatively shorter than other chapters, and I, for the thousandth time, apologize for the writing because it's 3 AM and I'm incredibly tired and caffeinated (it's never a good combination, please don't try). BUT hopefully this satisfies you until I am able to update once again!**

**If you have any questions, comments, thoughts, concerns, or feelings, please feel free to review them or PM me! **

**- Bane**

* * *

**~*6*~**

***Elizabeth***

Twenty seven hours after the exorcism, Theoden passed away.

Gandalf had suspected that the king had weakened, which was why he had a short conversation with Andi after Sauruman's expulsion. Liz helped keep Theodred and Eowyn company during the healing process, especially since Eomer had gone out with reluctance to gather the rest of the Rohirrim. The two mages, along with the healers of Rohan, did their best. Needless to say, their best wasn't enough. Sauruman had physically taken his toll on the king, slowly decaying him from the inside out. Only Gandalf, Andi, and Theodred were present in the king's final moments.

When the three emerged from the room, Andi bolted quickly through the crowd, dodging and pushing around people to leave quickly. No one stopped her, not even Liz. She knew better than to get near Andi when she was upset. She did notice, however, that Legolas followed her quietly. Theodred's expression was emotionless, almost stone-like. Gandalf then delivered the news. The only sounds heard were from Eowyn, who was crying softly. Liz held in in an embrace while the niece of the king sobbed in her arms, not knowing how to react to the news.

It wasn't until after the funeral the next day that Liz got to talk to Andi face to face about the past. It definitely took a while…a great deal longer than she would have liked, but Liz managed to make Andi remember herself. The ordeal was a bit stressful and, for lack of a better word, messy. Andi was heartbroken once she remembered who she really was, her life back home, and Mr. Foster. Liz had never seen Andi cry and it was terrifying to watch her friend go into hysterics. This, added on to the other events that happened before, made the three days after Theoden's exorcism a living hell.

She was slowly beginning to see why the creepy brown dude sent her here.

Andi was falling apart, physically and mentally, and no one could deny it. Things were happening too quickly, too fast, for her. She was trying to keep up, thus losing sleep in the process. With her being in a comatose state most of the time, she was doing more harm than good. Because Liz knew how she functioned, she would try to convince Andi to sleep more. There would be some moments when she and Legolas would double team, but Liz knew that it would take more to "kick her ass in gear". Unfortunately, the jumpstart wasn't what anyone expected.

***Seredur***

It was a fantastic symphony, a beautiful combination of complementary sounds. There were deep vocals coming from the throats of dying men, string instruments from the falling trees of Lothlorien, and the shrieking women added frantic woodwinds. War drums completed the acoustics for a satisfactory concerto of death. Seredur had never been so drunk reveling in the sounds of battle.

Despite being covered in blood, he was extremely pleased. Lothlorien fell quickly and, by the look of the destruction he and his uruk hai army concocted, there were little survivors. Those who wished to keep their lives fled the forest once they knew the battle was lost. However…

He chuckled as he added a special trinket to a chain around his neck. His mission was complete. After traversing major distances in a short time, he managed to fulfill his promise to his master. He would return to Isengard within the four day period.

And then he would finally accomplish his own personal goal.

***Andi***

Andi was sitting on the roof of the Golden Hall again, her staff resting in her lap while she observed the countryside. It was her usual spot to think after a day of training and working. Did the guards know of it? No. Would they care? Probably. Would they try to stop her? Definitely not. She certainly attained a very high reputation after the exorcism and healing of the king, thus gaining _another _name.

She hated it.

Because she began using her Elven name, she forgot her identity. She had immersed herself so much that she lost everything that made her Andi, making her someone different…someone angrier. She didn't like it, especially since she could still feel so frustrated at times. It didn't take much to set her off anymore, even around Legolas…

"So this is where the sly one hides."

Andi jumped at the sudden voice, turned around, and saw Boromir giving her a large grin. He skillfully balanced on the ramparts before taking a seat next to her.

"I didn't take you for the gymnast type, Boromir." Andi said, twitching a corner of her mouth.

Boromir chuckled. "I scrambled about the walls of Gondor too much as a child. It gave me a decent center of balance." He took out a knife and a piece of wood and began whittling. "Father would often yell at me and my brother whenever he caught us. Faramir was always better at climbing than I."

They sat there for a moment, silent in each other's company. The only sounds they heard were from Boromir's knife chopping at the wood and from far below them in the square. Finally, Andi spoke up.

"How did you find me up here?" Andi asked. "I didn't think anyone knew I came up here."

"I happened to notice a suspicious figure on the roof of the Golden Hall that looked strangely like a young woman I know." He said, smiling. "Might I suggest finding a better route aloft than to climb in plain sight?" Andi shrugged. Boromir frowned at this, disturbed by her unnatural behavior. "What troubles you, Adoniel?"

Andi winced at the name. "Don't…never mind. I just came up here to think, Boromir."

Boromir stopped whittling and fully turned his body to face her. "You do not sleep. You barely eat. We hear you talk to yourself, muttering only the shadows know what."

"Well, I hope the shadows don't start talking then." Andi replied sarcastically.

"I hope they do!" Boromir erupted, startling Andi. "What has happened to you? Where is the fiery lady I met in the Council? Where is the young magician who warded off wolves with fire? Where is the brave warrior who attacked uruk hai? I see only a shade of my friend now!" He paused, calming down for a brief moment before saying softer. "Where is the Adoniel I used to know?"

Andi gritted her teeth. "That's the problem! I don't know! I used to be Andi, then I was Killeam, then I was Adoniel, and now I'm ten other things that I don't want to be! I thought…" She paused, swallowing down the lump that was forming in her throat. "I thought that if I went along with the names, if I became Killeam and Adoniel, then I would be accepted and I would be what everyone wanted me to be, but…damn it." She wiped a stray tear from her eye and sighed shakily. "I lost myself, Boromir! For Christ's sake, I couldn't even remember my best friend's name, let alone what she looked like! I lost myself entirely and I don't know…I don't know how to find myself again!" She finally started crying, her sobs shaking her body. She could barely feel Boromir's crushing hug or the tears on her cheeks. Andi felt numb, and that's all she could feel.

Boromir pulled away from her and kissed her forehead. "Please…Andrea…if there is something plaguing you, _please _tell us." He ruffled her hair a bit, smiling. "You are never alone."

Andi managed a small smile and she laughed softly between hiccups. "I know, I know."

_"OPEN THE GATE! WE SEEK ASYLUM! OPEN THE GATE!" _

Boromir and Andi stood up quickly and carefully, alarmed by the sudden outburst. It was coming from the main entrance to the city. Boromir frowned worriedly.

"Who would come to Edoras at this an hour?" He turned to Andi. "Can you see anything?"

Andi peered into the darkness, using her vision to see as best she could. "There are at least ten or more people on horseback…I see two banners, but I can't make out the…oh my God." She froze when she saw who they were. "Oh no. Shit. Oh God no, please no." Hurriedly, she picked up her staff and ran across the roof. Boromir quickly followed her as she jumped from the roof to a nearby pole, sliding down, and running to the gates.

"What has alarmed you? Who are they?"

"It's the elves." Andi gasped. "But something's wrong. Something's horribly wrong."

Once they arrived at the gate, they maneuvered through the crowd of people surrounding them to find the weary travellers. She recognized most of them: Arwen, Galadriel, Rinion, Haldir, Elladen… But her assumptions were correct. Haldir, Rinion, and Elladen were bloodied. Arwen and Galadriel were obviously shaken. Both appeared to have been crying for some time. Once Arwen jumped from her horse, Andi ran to her, crushing her in a hug. Arwen instantly began crying. Elladen quickly joined his sister, trying to help her when he was shaken himself. Andi looked to Elladen, expecting the worst.

"What…what happened?" Andi asked.

Elladen didn't speak. He obviously didn't want to. She turned to Haldir, who was handing his reins to a willing stable boy. He came and embraced her, not letting her go.

"Thank the Valar you are alive." He whispered.

"Haldir, please, I need to know what happened!" Andi said.

He took her hand, and led her out of the open crowd. Boromir followed behind until they came to an empty alleyway. Haldir sighed and stared at the ground, not willing to look up at her.

"He came in the night…with thousands of them. We weren't prepared for a full assault…"

Andi's hand flew to her mouth. "No…"

Haldir finally met her eyes. "He attacked Rivendell first, by himself, coming after the royal family." He paused, swallowing. "Elrohir and Elrond are dead."

Boromir's eyes widened. "Dead?"

Nodding, the warden continued. "Seredur came for the ring, Vilya. After he stole it from Elrond, he came with his army of uruks to Lothlorien. My Lord….Celeborn…he is also dead, for he mislead Seredur into thinking he had Nenya. I assisted Lady Galadriel in escaping with the last members of my battalion. She still has Nenya, thank Elbereth…"

"Seredur has Vilya." Andi stated in shock.

Haldir nodded. "His goal was to collect the Elven Rings and, I assume, return them to Saurman."

"How many were lost?" Boromir asked.

"We know for certain we have lost Elrond, Elrohir, Glorfindel, Beleg, Celeborn…my brothers…we've lost over five thousand civilians and almost double that in soldiers." He pointed to Fangorn. "What is left of both Rivendell and Lothlorien's armies is hiding in the forest outside of Edoras, for the trees will protect us, but you must know this." He put his hand on Andi's shoulder. "Seredur is coming with the full force of Isengard to Edoras. He is coming for Narya."

* * *

**A/N: I know...I left you with a lot of information. It's a lot to take in. And also I slightly lied about two or three of the hints because they'll happen later. I'M SORRY. Again, if you have any questions, feel free to message me.**


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